M lens made in Romania?

[dkCambridgeshire]

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In an article in BJP 22 August Jonathan Eastland mentions (but not specifically) an M lens made in Romania in the 1970's ... which lens was this?

 

dunk

[adan]

Never heard that one!

 

Since Leica was so fearful of eastern bloc intentions that it went so far as to operate a "backup" factory in Canada for 35 years or so, just in case Wetzlar fell to Soviet ambitions, I doubt they contracted for lenses from an EB country. But it's altogether possible that an M-compatible lens was built in Romania, just as FED, Canon et al built screw-mount-compatible lenses.

 

China even built a very limited number of Leica-M copy cameras with 35/50/90 lenses - the "Red Flag", I believe - also in the '70's.

[steed]

"Classic Camera ", a publication no longer imported to the US ran an article on an eastern bloc M mount lens (USSR made, as I recall). Perhaps this is what you mean

John W

[dkCambridgeshire]

This is what Jonathan Eastland has written ... and he is a respected Leica user and Leica historian ... his actual words on page 32 of this week's BJP state:

 

"True, Leica has in the past dabbled with foreign OEM suppliers for some of its R type lenses, but only once , for an M type lens manufactured in Romania the 70's."

 

The article is a test report on the latest M fitting 18mm Zeiss Distagon which is made by Cosina ... in the article JE compares Zeiss' and Leica's use of contractors for lens manufacture ... and he also mentions Leica's new M mount Summarits manufactured 'in an effort to regain lost ground" but still made in Germany.

 

The only M lens which might possibly have been made in Romania in the 70's would be the 15mm f8 Hologon if Zeiss had manufacturing facilities there ... but even this seems unlikely.

 

Dunk

[Ivar B]

In an article in BJP 22 August Jonathan Eastland mentions (but not specifically) an M lens made in Romania in the 1970's ... which lens was this?

 

dunk

 

I wonder if this was the ill fated 40/2.8 Elmarit for the CL, which never went into official sale but you can see it on the used market from time to time.

[luigi bertolotti]

Ivar, You have made the right assumption: when CL was envisioned, Leitz thought that to keep the price as low as possible they could find a cheap source for a cheap lens - so the Elmarit - C 40mm 2,8 was born, assembled in Romania with Leitz glass (I seem to remember that Leitz goal was targeted specifically at the French market to reach a "little-less-than-round" price ... maybe under 1000 French Francs ?).

Unfortunately, a strong engineering error occurred... the f/stops ring was operated by a small lever... which covered the RF window. About 400 were manufactured, then stop to all the project: it's a good and costly collectible.

[dkCambridgeshire]

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Thanks for solving this mystery Luigi

 

Dunk

[doubice]

I recall reading about a Romanian Leica lens somewhere, Luigi beat me to it....

 

Yes, it indeed was the 40mm f2.8 Elmarit C. As per Paul-Henry van Hasbroeck's book: ...."Although the optical part of the lens was manufactured in Wetzlar, the mount was made in Romania. in order to keep manufacturing costs as low as possible"......

 

The aperture lever was eventually re-located out of the field of view but, very few lenses were produced, mainly due to unceirtainty about mass deliveries from Romania.

 

Best,

 

Jan

[Philippe D.]

Hello,

The article is a test report on the latest M fitting 18mm Zeiss Distagon which is made by Cosina ...

And what does it say about it ?

I'm impatiently waiting for this lens to finally comes on the shelves, as to replace my 17mm Rokkor i use with a 22 233 Leitz adapter.

 

Cheers, Ph.

[Guest tummydoc]

This is what Jonathan Eastland has written ... and he is a respected Leica user and Leica historian

 

Putting aside his wildly erroneous assertion in his "M Compendium" that the reading angle of the M6 lightmeter can be varied simply by toggling the frameline selector, in the present case he does happen to know what he's talking about. It was indeed the 2.8/40 Elmarit.